Frozen Episodes
by RAMSPEL
Summary: A collection of one-shots. Chapter 4: 8,000 Salad Plates: While planning their wedding, Anna tells Kristoff and Elsa a story from her thirteen years of isolation, when she wrecked havoc on some of the palace's more fragile items.
1. Chapter 1: Kissed by a Troll

_Author's note: I have a few ideas for some Frozen one-shots and I decided to post them as a collection instead of individual stories, so if people like them they can follow this story and be alerted when a new chapter is posted. Most of the stories are going to focus on Anna and Elsa, but Kristoff and other characters will also be featured. You can read the stories as part of a group or skip to the ones that you are interested in. Be warned they will not be posted in chronological order, but rather the order they are completed in. Enjoy! _

_Summary: The morning after the accident that nearly took her life, Anna wakes up to some changes around the castle. She wants to see her big sister and tell her about the dream she had the night before._

* * *

Kissed by a Troll

Princess Anna was sleeping soundly when she was awoken by the gentle rousing of her mother's touch.

"Anna dear, it's time to wake up." She rolled over and pulled the covers tightly around her. The warm bed felt so good and she was not yet ready to get out of it.

"Anna." Her mother continued shaking her.

"Please Mama, can't I have a little longer?"

"You have already got to sleep-in an extra hour." She pulled the covers off of her daughter. "Now get up. You are not spending the whole day in bed."

Anna groaned and sat up. When she did she realized that something was off.

"What am I doing in your bed?" Anna asked. She knew she had gone to sleep in her own bed the night before and had not been aware of being moved during the night.

"We moved you in here, while you were sleeping last night. Your sister is not feeling well and we did not want you getting sick, as well."

"Elsa's sick?" Her sister seemed fine last night. Anna had tried to wake her up in the middle of the night, but Elsa had shoved her off the bed and told her to go play by herself. Anna had tried that for a few minutes, before she decided playing alone was boring and went back to bed. It was unusual for Elsa to be unreceptive to her little sister's antics, but she had not seemed ill, just sleepy. Whenever Anna was sick, Elsa would always sit with her little sister and read to her. She always nursed Anna back to health and she wanted to return the favor. "I'm going to check on her." Anna announced.

"No!" Her mother exclaimed, and then she calmly added, "Your sister needs to rest."

"But I have to go in there anyway to get ready. Can't I just speak to her for a few minutes?"

"No Anna, she could be contagious. You can get ready in our room today."

"What does conagious mean?"

"_Contagious_." Her mother corrected her. "And it means you could catch whatever Elsa has if you are around her. I will get your dress, while Gerda does your hair." Her mother left and a minute later Gerda came in.

"Your Highness, have a seat." Gerda sat Anna in front of a mirror and started brushing out the tangles in her hair.

"Stay still, will you." Gerda instructed the squirming little princess. Anna could hardly help all the moving, Gerda was not exactly gentle. "What do you do to get your hair so tangled child? You must toss and turn all…oh what's this?" She asked finding the white streak in Anna's hair.

"What's what?"

"This white streak in your hair, where did it come from?"

"What do you mean? I've always had it." Anna said wrapping the streak around her finger. There was something important about the white streak and a dream she had the night before, but she could not remember.

Gerda stared at Anna dumbfounded. "Your Highness, I've been brushing your hair since you grew your first few strands and I've never seen that white streak before."

"What about Anna's hair?" Her mother asked as she reentered the room carrying Anna's dress.

"Mama, haven't I always had this white streak?"

Her mother seemed surprised by what Anna said for a moment, before she quickly responded. "Yes, of course you have." Seeing the confused look on the servant's face she added, "I mean the streak hasn't always been so noticeable. It started as just a few strands, but Anna's right. She has always had it. Why don't I finish with her? I think you are needed in the kitchen, Gerda."

When she left, Anna asked her mother about the streak. "Mama, why does Gerda think my streak is new?"

"Oh you know…when we get older our eyes start to fail us. She probably never noticed it before. I wouldn't think anything about it."

As her mother finished brushing her hair, Anna stared at her reflection. She knew she must have looked at the white streak hundreds of times in the past, but it still felt like she was seeing it for the first time. What was that dream she had about the streak? She could vaguely remember there had been a troll in the dream. As she thought about the dream, it all came back to her.

"Mama are trolls real? Oww!" She cried as her mother suddenly caught the brush on a tangle.

"Sorry…Why do you ask about trolls?"

"I had a dream about a troll last night."

"Trolls are only legends, honey. Now get dressed and hurry along to breakfast. Dr. Engström will not be pleased with you if you miss all your morning lessons."

Anna inwardly groaned. Dr. Engström was her tutor and when she wasted time, he made her practice her handwriting by copying entire pages out of books. 'A princess must have pristine penmanship,' he always told her whenever she complained about the punishment.

She took the dress off the chair where her mother had laid it out and was surprised by the way it felt.

"It's freezing."

"Oh…I'm sorry…the window was open. It must have been in a draft all night. I know it's cold, but after you wear it for a few seconds it will feel fine."

Anna reluctantly put on the dress. The rest of her morning did not go much better. She found the normally cozy palace seemed more like a prison with the gates closed as well as all the doors and the windows. When she asked her mother about the change all she said was, "We can never be too careful." Then at breakfast she learned that her favorite cook (the young woman who always saved her a few extra pieces of chocolate) had been dismissed along with about half the palace staff. She wished Elsa felt better, they usually ate breakfast together and without her the meal was no fun.

During her lessons she convinced Dr. Engström to let her write a quick letter to her sister as part of her writing practice. When she finished she asked if she could take a break and deliver the note in person.

"I am afraid you are going to have to wait. Your mother said your sister needs rest and insisted she is not to be disturbed."

Anna's face fell. She wanted to see her sister. It had only been a few hours since the last time she saw her, but still she missed her company. Her day had been pretty miserable so far and she knew seeing Elsa would cheer her up. Besides, if Elsa was sick Anna wanted to take care of her, the way Elsa always nursed her back to health whenever she was sick.

Now, I think we should get started on our Latin." Dr. Engström suggested.

Anna groaned and laid her head down on the table. Why couldn't she have been the sick one? At least then she could have gotten out of her lessons. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"Your Highness, it is time we got back to work." Anna could tell from Dr. Engström's tone that she was getting dangerously close to penmanship practice. Still, she decided to push it.

"I don't feel good." She added her best attempt at a fake cough to try to confirm her story. "I think I must have caught whatever Elsa has."

Dr. Engström gave her a look that told her he was not convinced. "You seemed alright a few minutes ago. We should continue working and see if whatever it is passes."

"You shouldn't be around me. I might be contagious. I don't want…" She again tried to fake a cough. "to get…" cough… "you …" cough… "sick."

"I'm sure I will be fine." He told her, but she noticed the way he move his tea to the very edge of the table away from her as well as how he had lightly slid to the other side of his chair.

"But I can't learn anything while I feel like this." She put her hand on her right temple. "My head hurts too much."

Dr. Engström sighed. "Wait right here. I'm going to get your mother."

Anna waited a whole thirty seconds after Dr. Engström departed (just to make sure the hallway was clear), then she grabbed Elsa's letter and darted towards the room they shared. She practically crashed into the door as she quickly tried to enter, only to discover the door was locked. That was strange; they rarely locked this door. And why would she be locked out of her own room?

Not wanting to get caught in the hall she softly knocked on the door and whispered, "Elsa, It's me. Let me in."

When no answer came, Anna wondered if her sister was sleeping. She hated to wake her, but not as much as she hated possibly getting caught outside her door disturbing her.

"Elsa. Are you awake?" She knocked louder.

Still, no answer came. Anna crouched down and peeked under the door. Through the tiny gap she could just make out a pair of feet pacing in front of the door."

"Elsa, I can see you moving." Forgetting to keep her voice down she whined, "Come on. Let me in."

"Anna, you should not be here." Her sister finally responded from the other side of the door.

"I don't care if you're contagious. I rather get sick too, than do lessons all by myself. Come on, Dr. Engström is going to be back with Mama any minute. I told him I didn't feel good."

"Are you alright?!" Elsa asked urgently. "Does your head hurt?!"

"It's alright. Is that what you have, a headache?"

"Something like that." Elsa muttered. "You need to go, Anna!" She said in a stern tone that she had never before used with her little sister.

Anna was taken aback by her sister's tone. Even when she was annoying Elsa, she never talked to her like that.

"But I wrote you a letter to help you feel better. Can I at least give it to you?" Anna pleaded.

"Fine, but then you have to go." Anna's face lit up, until Elsa added the words, "Slide it under the door."

Anna slid the note under the door, but she stuck around hoping her sister would change her mind and let her in.

No invite came, but Elsa did ask. "Anna, what is this drawing of?

In addition to a short note wishing Elsa a quick recovery, Anna had included a crude drawing.

"Do you like it? It is you in me in the center and around us are a bunch our trolls"

From behind the door it almost sounded like Elsa gasped, but Anna could not be sure.

"Why did you draw trolls?" From Elsa's voice, it was clear she did not like the picture.

"I had a dream about a troll last night." She said shyly. "In my dream my head hurt real badly, but then an old troll came and kissed me on the forehead. When he did my head stopped hurting and in the spot where he kissed me it left a white streak like the one I have in my hair."

Anna could hear Elsa sniffling from the other sided of the door. _She must have a cold._ Anna thought.

"Elsa, are you alright?" The silence that followed her question made Anna feel uneasy. She put her ear to the door, trying to hear if Elsa was still there. The sniffling told her she still was. "If you don't like that picture, I can draw you another one. Maybe after my lessons I can come and sit with you and keep you company, like you always do whenever I'm sick. I hope you will feel better then. It's been so boring without…"

"Anna!"

Anna jumped at the angry voice coming from behind her. She turned to see her mother standing with Dr. Engström and neither looked too pleased with her.

"You were told _not_ to bother your sister!" Her mother said sternly.

"But I think I may have caught Elsa's cold." Anna tried to lie, but she could see from her mother's face that had been a mistake.

"You have not caught anything from your sister and you know I do not appreciate dishonesty. It is unbecoming of a young lady and most certainly a princess. Now, you are going to go back to your lessons and after you are done, you are to go immediately to the library and spend the rest of the afternoon practicing you Latin and French." Anna opened her mouth to protest, but before she had a chance to say anything her mother added, "And I do not want to hear any argument."

"Yes Mama." Anna said with her eyes cast towards the floor.

As she walked back with Dr. Engström, she had to listen to him lecture her as well about her lie. She tried to nod at the appropriate times and look apologetic, but she was barely listening. Anna kept thinking about Elsa. Her sister seemed upset about something. And Anna could not shake the feeling that she had somehow done something wrong and now Elsa was mad at her. Maybe she was angry at Anna for waking her up last night when she was not feeling well. She had thought Elsa had gone right back to sleep, but maybe she had caused her to get sick. She wished she could apologize, but she knew better than to bother her again. Maybe tomorrow Elsa would be better and she could tell her how sorry she was and do something to make it up to her. She hoped then Elsa would forgive her and everything would go back to normal.

* * *

_Author's note: Thanks for reading. I wish I could tell you when I will be updating again, but that will mostly depend on how busy I am. Until then, you can always check out my other Frozen FanFiction, Thawed Hearts. It is also a one-shot._


	2. Chapter 2: Baby Sister

Baby Sister

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed to this story. _

_Summary: A three-year-old Elsa discovers her ice powers and what it means to be a big sister._

* * *

Princess Elsa pushed the pillow as hard as she could against her right ear, while her left ear was squished against the other pillow that was lying on the bed. Unfortunately, even with two pillows serving as ear muffs, she still failed to drown out the sound of the screaming baby. Ever since her baby sister, Anna, had been born a few weeks earlier, no one in the palace had gotten a decent night's sleep.

When Elsa had first learned that she was going to be a big sister, she had been so excited. Growing up in a palace, with only her parents, tutors, and servants for company, she did not have many opportunities to spend time with other children. And although she was pretty good at entertaining herself, she still desperately wanted a playmate. She wanted someone her age to talk to. As well as another person who would know what it felt like to be a prince or princess. Then Anna had been born, and the fantasy Elsa had about how much fun she would have with her new sibling was quickly beginning to fade. Mama and Papa had already warned her that the new baby would probably not be much of a playmate for a while. They explained that when babies are little they need a lot of rest and that the new baby would probably spend most of her time sleeping. They were wrong. This baby never slept and she made sure that no one else in the palace did either. As far as Elsa could tell Anna didn't do anything besides cry. And despite many failed attempts by her parents and the servants, no one seemed to be able to make her stop.

Elsa had tried complaining about this to her parents. She had asked them to take Anna back to wherever she came from and get a different baby. Maybe this time they could get her a brother. But they had simply smiled at her and tried to explain to Elsa that wasn't how these things worked. They said that one day they might have more children, but Anna would always be her little sister. They also told her that this crying phase that Anna was in would not last forever and they said this was completely normal for a baby to act like this. However, when she had asked her parents if she had cried as much as Anna when she was her age, they admitted she hardly cried at all. But they told her she could hardly expect every baby to be as easy as her.

As she lay in her bed thinking back over that conversation with her parents, she finally decided she had had enough. She couldn't expect Anna to act just like her, but maybe she could teach her sister to act like her.

Elsa slipped out of bed and made sure to grab her favorite doll that she never went anywhere without. The doll was made to look just like her. Then she went down the hall and tiptoed into the nursery. When Anna heard the door creak open, her incessant wailing changed to a frantic moaning, but she gave no indication that she would be stopping anytime soon.

Elsa peered over the top of the cradle and glared at the red-faced runt who had been driving her nuts.

"Listen Anna," She said trying to mimic the voice her mother used whenever she was trying to rebuke Elsa about something. "we are tired of you crying all the time. You need to stop and act like a big girl."

Anna responded by letting out a piercing scream.

"Stop it!" Elsa yelled and covered her ears, but Anna continued.

The room suddenly started to get colder, which Elsa knew sometimes happened when she was really upset. But although Elsa could feel the temperature drop, the cold itself didn't bother her. Anna, however, was a different story. Her screams got louder, if that was even possible.

Desperate and realizing her plan so far was only making things worse. She turned to, Elsie, the doll that she had brought with her. Whenever she cried, all her parents had to do was give her Elsie to make her stop. Perhaps she would have the same effect on Anna. She hated to part with Elsie, even for a night, but if it made her sister finally stop crying it would be worth it.

"Anna, if you'll stop crying," She gave her doll an apologetic look. "I'll let you borrow Elsie tonight."

Elsa held the doll out to her sister hoping the toy might stop the endless crying. Anna stopped her screaming momentarily to stare at the strange object in front of her. Then after a few seconds she seemed to lose interest and resume wailing again.

Elsa pressed her hands over her ears to keep out the piercing screams. "What does it take to make you stop crying?" Elsa yelled. As she said the words 'stop crying' she quickly moved her hands away from her ears and held them out towards Anna, begging the young girl to give her some peace. When she did this, snowflakes suddenly shot out of her hands and fell on the baby.

When she saw the snowflakes, Elsa jerked her hands away from Anna and stared at them. She had no doubt that she had created the snow. She had felt the power as it was being released from her. Elsa had always known she was a little different. She could feel hot and cold just like any other person, but although she could feel _too_ hot she had never felt _too_ cold. And she had already discovered she could affect the cold. If a room was too hot she could lower the temperature just by willing it to be colder. She had tried asking her parents why no one else could make things colder, but they had explained to her that was impossible that no one could change the temperature. Still, she was pretty sure she could. Once she had even overheard one of the maids gossiping that she always felt a draft whenever the princess was really upset. But Elsa had never before made it snow. The young princess could find no other explanation for that than magic.

She was so focused on her hands that she had not noticed that Anna had finally stopped crying. It was not until she heard a strange sound coming from the baby that she even remembered her sister. _Is she…laughing?_ Elsa peeked over at Anna, who was staring at the snowflakes with the biggest smile Elsa had ever seen on the young girl's face (which really wasn't saying too much since until then she had yet to see her sister smile) and she was giggling uncontrollably.

After a minute or so the giggling stopped and Anna stared intently at Elsa.

"What is it?" Elsa asked her baby sister.

Anna reached out at Elsa and started her frantic moaning again.

"Do you want me to make more snow?"

Even at three Elsa knew Anna was too little to understand words. But when she asked this Anna's moaning changed from frantic to happy like she really was trying to ask Elsa to do her trick again.

"Listen Anna, I would do the magic for you if I could, but I can't. I don't even know what I did to make it happen the first time."

When Anna heard this, she started screaming again.

"Oh no, no. Not that again. I'll try, but I do not think it's going to work."

Elsa tried her best to tune out the screaming child and remember what she had done to make it happen the first time. She remembered the snow had come when she had moved her hands suddenly; so Elsa thought that might work again. She started throwing to her hands in every direction. When that failed, she started shaking her hands just in case the snow was trapped inside them and needed to be shaken out, but still nothing happened.

She thought about giving up, but then she thought about how happy Anna had been when she had made snow the first time. It was the first time Elsa had ever seen Anna happy and she wanted to make her smile like that again. She closed her eyes and tried to will the air around her hand to get colder just like she did when she touched a bowl of steaming hot soup and willed it to get colder. Then she imagined a snow ball in her hand. Finally, she mimed throwing the snow into the air.

When she heard her sister start giggling again, she open her eyes and saw a light dusting of flurries falling around them. Elsa repeated the action again for her sister and then again until soon she was putting on a performance, making flurries after flurries for the ecstatic child. The more Elsa repeated the magic, the easier it became until it was no more difficult than blinking her eyes.

Finally after forcing Elsa to conjure snowflakes countless time (not that Elsa minded, she was thoroughly enjoying showing off her new-found power to an enthusiastic audience) Anna was worn out. The little baby tried to fight sleep, but as Elsa watched Anna eyelids began fluttering then they slowly closed.

Elsa turned to tiptoe out of the room. When she reached the door she slowly pulled it open, only to have the hinges let out a small squeak. Despite being fast asleep moments before, Anna woke and started whining at the noise. Elsa ran over to her sister, hoping that if she could sooth the infant fast enough she could calm her before her whining turned into a full-blown cry. She peered over the top of the cradle and held out her hand towards the baby, but before she could conjure more snow, Anna reached out and grabbed two of Elsa's fingers. Anna whining turned into a soft cooing. Then she looked into the eyes of her big sister and a big smile formed on the baby's lips.

When Anna smiled at her it awakened a strange feeling in Elsa. She felt a different kind of love unlike any she had ever experienced before. Love itself was hardy a new feeling for Elsa. She loved her parents deeply. But this love was different. It stirred a gentle nurturing side that Elsa never even knew she had. She felt a deep longing to care for and protect this tiny little bundle that had cost her countless night's sleep and turned her life upside-down.

Elsa waited until Anna fell back asleep before she gently pulled her fingers from the baby's grip. Then she carefully brushed away any of the extra snow that had landed on her sister's clothes. She knew the cold did bother most people and she didn't want her baby sister to get sick.

Despite knowing she would sleep much more comfortably in her own bed, she grabbed her pillows and blankets and slept on the floor next to Anna, so if she did wake up Elsa would be right there to help her fall back asleep. In the morning she would ask her parents to move Anna's cradle into her room, so she could be there whenever her sister needed her.

As she fell asleep, she thought about how being a big sister was nothing like she had imagined. Anna was hardly the sister she would have picked had she been able to choose. But as she thought about the look Anna had given her and the way she had fallen asleep holding her hand, she was thankful to have Anna as a baby sister. And Elsa drifted to sleep thinking about the lifetime of fun they were going to have together.


	3. Chapter 3: Alone

Alone

_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and subscribed to this story. I do not own Frozen or any of its characters. Nor, do I own the sections of dialogue that are borrowed from the film._

_Summary: Elsa's thoughts as she sees her parents for the last time, learns of their deaths, and as she is grieving inside her frozen room._

* * *

Elsa heard footsteps outside her door and knew instantly it was her sister. Certainly no one else in the castle would run until they built up enough speed to slide the rest of the way down the hall. But that was typical for Anna, even at fifteen she still went about her daily task with a childlike playfulness. Elsa smiled at the thought of her sister running around the halls terrorizing her tutors and the servants. When the sound of Anna's footsteps paused right as she got to Elsa's door, she braced herself for her sister's signature five knocks asking her to build a snowman or take part in some other activity together. Elsa supposed she should have been expecting this. It had been so long since the last time Anna had sought her out and she was overdue for a visit. Plus, their parents were about to embark on a diplomatic trip and for the next two weeks, besides their tutors and servants, the girls were only going to have one another to keep each other company. Surely, Anna would want to use this as an opportunity to once again attempt to reconnect with her sister.

Elsa knew she could not be around Anna while her parents were gone. Even when she had her parents around to ease her worries and confide in whenever her powers became too overwhelming, she still barely trusted herself to be around Anna, except for the most basic of interactions. She tried to come up with a good excuse as to why she would have to decline her sister's invitation. Anna had long since stopped believing Elsa's excuses that she was too busy to spend any time with her. Even the future queen of Arendelle could not be so busy that she could not spare a few minutes for her only sister. Especially when Anna had repeatedly offered to help her study, an activity that Elsa knew Anna hated. She knew Anna only suggested it because she was so desperate to be around Elsa that she rather do something she hated together than do something she enjoyed alone. Besides, Elsa hated lying to her sister. It was one of the reasons why she usually didn't answer when Anna knocked or simply told her to go away without an explanation.

As it turned out Elsa did not need an excuse. After a few seconds of being stopped outside her sister's door, Anna walked away without knocking. She knew she should have felt relieved by this. After all, it constantly tore at Elsa's heart to have her baby sister come to her full of joy and hope, only to be sent away crushed and rejected. It filled Elsa's heart with guilt to know she was constantly hurting her sister in the process of trying to protect her. But instead of relief, Elsa had felt depressed when Anna had walked past her door. As much as she hated constantly crushing her sister's hopes, part of her still liked it when Anna knocked. It was about the only contact she still had with Anna. At least then Elsa would get to hear her sister's voice which was always so full of joy and excitement. And sometimes Anna would sit outside the door and talk to Elsa. Even though the older girl didn't respond, she'd tell her about her day or about the latest thing that had captured her interest. It could hardly be called a conversation since it was one-sided, but knowing her sister was still living her life reminded Elsa of why she was putting herself through this isolation. She wondered if maybe even these meager interactions with Anna were coming to an end. Elsa could not blame Anna for getting tired of being the only one to try to maintain their relationship. Perhaps after ten years of rejection, Anna, the most optimistic person Elsa knew, was finally giving up on her.

After Elsa knew her sister was gone she walked down the stairs and waited for her parents who soon appeared. They saw her nerves and offered her a sympathetic smile. Elsa curtsied in return. She wished dearly she could hug them like her sister did and that it hadn't been years since the last time she allowed them anything except the slightest touch, but curtsying was all she could do.

"Do you have to go?" She asked already knowing to answer. The Duke of Weselton had invited her parents to discuss the terms of a new trade agreement. This deal would help secure the future of Arendelle, and if only one of her parents showed up, the duke might be offended and that could jeopardize everything.

"You'll be fine, Elsa." Her father tried to reassure her.

She nodded her head although she didn't believe him. She wanted to tell them that she could not handle two weeks without either of them and beg them to stay, but she knew they had a duty to the people of Arendelle. Besides, her parents had already sacrificed too much for her already.

"Elsa, dear." Her mother tried to put a hand on her oldest daughter's shoulder to comfort her, but she shrank back from her touch. When she did a look of agony filled her mother's eye. An instant later it was gone. Years of being a public figure had trained her mother to control her body language and she was almost immediately able to regain her composure. But it was too late to spare her daughter's feelings. Elsa saw the pain her mother was in and she knew she had caused it.

"I'm sorry…I…" Her voice started to crack. She tried to think of something else that could make the situation better, but there were no words that would suffice.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Elsa. It's not your fault." Then her mother's voice started to crack as well. They were the only people who understood the risk. Any physical contact with Elsa was dangerous. Once when she had been panicking because her powers were getting out of control, her mother had taken her hand and given it a soft squeeze trying to calm her daughter. She had only held her daughter's hand for a moment and Elsa had even been wearing gloves, but she still developed frostbite that took her weeks to recover from.

"It will only be for two weeks, darling." Her father said. "I know it will be hard for you, but you can get through this."

...

Elsa sat in her room reading through the fifth volume of _The History of Arendelle_. So far she had covered about two hundred years of history over the past ten days. She hoped by staying busy and distracting her mind she could make it through the remaining four days without losing control. Since her parents' departure, she had barely left her room. All her meals had been delivered to her door, so she would not have to risk running into her sister in the dining hall. Her plan was to avoid other people until her parents returned. Her tutors had given her work in advance so she could study independently and the servants had been instructed not to disturb her. So she was surprised when she heard a knock at her door.

"Princess Elsa." Kai called through the door.

"Yes."

"There are some envoys from Weselton waiting to see you in the library."

"What are they here for? I do not have any meeting scheduled."

"I am aware, Your Highness." He replied. It had been redundant arguing with Kai about the schedule seeing as how he managed the princess' daily routine. "They arrived about an hour ago and requested to meet with you."

As much as Elsa wanted to avoid seeing people she knew she could not refuse the envoys. They could have been sent ahead because they were part of the trade agreement her father was working on. She followed Kai into the library where she found more people waiting besides the envoys. Her father's closest advisors were also there, but there was also someone she never expected to see.

"Anna." This was not about some trade agreement, she realized. Her sister would not be called to sit in on that type of meeting. "What are you doing here?"

"I was told the Weasel…I mean Weselton men wanted to see me, just like you." She answered nervously.

"Perhaps Your Highness would like to have a seat." Magnus, one of the advisors suggested.

"What is this about?" Elsa asked a lot more forcefully than she intended to.

"Please, Your Highness have a seat. Then we will explain everything."

He led Elsa over to the couch where there was a seat open next to Anna, but she bypassed it and instead chose a seat across the room by the fireplace.

"Your Highnesses, may I present Lord Reddel and Lord Holmen of Weselton." Kai introduced the two men.

"It is quite an honor to meet both of you." Lord Reddel said. "I must say you are turning into quite beautiful young ladies. The duke sends his regards. He wanted to come personally, but I am afraid there is too much for him to attend to in Weselton at the moment."

"I don't understand." Elsa interrupted. She was breaking every rule of etiquette that she knew, but she didn't care. She knew something was wrong. She could see it on everyone's faces, except her sister who must have also sensed a problem because the normally fearless girl bore an anxious expression on her face. And Elsa did not have the patience to listen to these men dance around the subject. "Did my father send you? What is this about?"

"I am afraid, Your Highness, that your parents' ship never arrived at our port."

"No!" Elsa whispered. Weselton was only about a two-day voyage. Her parents should have arrived over a week ago.

"What?! What are you saying?" Anna bolted from her chair.

All the men offered her a sympathetic look. Kai walked over to the princess and put his hand on her shoulder. "Your Highness, we heard reports of terrible storms along the course your parents would have taken to get to Weselton. We had hoped your parents were able to avoid them, but it seems they were not so fortunate."

"But they still could have avoided them. They could have changed course and harbored someplace else."

"Anna." When he dropped formality and called her by her name, Anna's face fell. Kai never addressed her as anything, but Your Highness or Princess Anna. "A few days ago a piece of your parents' ship washed up along the shore of Weselton."

"But they had life boats. That doesn't mean…what you all are assuming has happened. There needs to be people out there looking for them." Anna frantically argued.

"There are people looking and they have been for days now. But the severity of the storms your parents were in, even a large vessel would have trouble navigating and the chances of a small lifeboat…I'm so sorry, Your Highness."

Anna started to break down, but Elsa hardly noticed. She had been barely listening since the Weselton dignitaries told her that her parents had never arrived at their destination. _Conceal, don't feel! Conceal, don't feel. _She repeated over and over to herself, but it wasn't working. She could feel the storm inside her growing in fury, pushing at her, demanding to be released. Elsa knew she had to get out here, but she was afraid to even move. Holding her hands against her waist, she carefully rose from the chair and made a few timid steps towards the door. Her attention was so focused on controlling her emotions that she almost forgot about all the other people around her. It was not until she saw her little sister out of the corner of her eye reaching forward to embrace her only remaining family that her attention was jerked back into the room.

"No!" Elsa cried as she dodged her sister's reach.

Anna stumbled a few feet when she did this. Once she regained her balance her eyes met her elder sister's and she bore a look of pure agony. It was a look Elsa had seen mirrored a few days earlier on her mother when she had shrank back from her touch. That had been the last time she would ever see her mother and she had pushed her away. But her mother at least understood her reason for keeping her distance. Elsa knew Anna didn't. The younger girl thought she had just lost her parents and the only family she had left wanted nothing to do with her. The thought of her sister believing such a horrible lie was too much for Elsa. She felt the ice at her finger tips, ready to seep out. And her gloves were not going to be nearly enough. If she let her powers go while she was in this state of mind she would freeze everything and everyone that was in the room with her.

"No! No! No!" She had already lost her parents; she couldn't lose her sister too. She had to protect Anna.

The though gave her the adrenaline burst she so desperately needed. She darted past her sister towards door, down the hall, until she finally reached the room that was both a refuge and a prison. If her room had been any farther she probably would not have made it. Fortunately, her love of books had encouraged her parents to give her a room close to the library. And she was able to reach her room and slam the door before unleashing the storm inside.

...

"Your Majesty." The sound of Kai knocking on her door, barely registered with Elsa. A lot of things had barely registered in the week since she had been told her parents had died. She didn't respond or even acknowledge the servant. Instead, she lay against her door like she had been doing almost all week. Her room was cover in ice and frost. Snowflakes hovered in the air like time had stopped.

"Your Majesty." Kai called again. _When did I become Your Majesty and not Your Highness?_ Elsa wondered to herself. It was a harsh reminder that, in addition to all her other burdens, she was somehow expected to rule this kingdom.

"Please, Your Majesty, I know you can hear me." Kai continued. Elsa still didn't respond, hoping the servant would eventually give up and leave her alone. Even if she had wanted to answer the door she couldn't, not with everything in there frozen and snowflakes hovering all around.

"Please...Elsa…open the door so I can at least know that you are well." Kai begged. When no one responded he sighed. "If you are not going to answer, I hope you will at least listen. I cannot begin to imagine the pain you are in and the weight you must be feeling today, but shutting out the world will not change what has happened. It will not change anything. I came to see if you are planning to go to the service today. I take your silence as a no, but I beseech you to reconsider. You are not the only one who has suffered a terrible lose. Your parents were beloved by all their subjects and the entire kingdom is in mourning. The people need to know that the future of the kingdom is secure. And while I have no doubt that you will make a very capable queen, if you miss the ceremony today you will diminish the hopes of a grieving people. You need to think of them. You have to be strong for them."

For half a second Elsa thought about opening the door and letting Kai behold the scene in her room. _I need to be strong for them!_ Her mind was seething from his last comment. _Does he think I am staying away by choice! I am staying away for them!_ But after a moment she pushed the thought away. She could never risk Kai's well-being like that and certainly not for misguided anger. Kai had always been her father's most trusted servant. For years he had been overlooking the strange occurrences that had happened around Elsa, following orders, and never asking for an explanation. She knew he was loyal to her first and foremost.

Then he must have realized he had upset the new queen further. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, for trying to inform you of things you undoubtedly already know. I certainly do not mean to chastise you during this time of grief or to add to your burden. I care about this land and these people very much, but my first concern is for you and your sister. I know I am not your blood and I do not equal your rank, but I still care for you girls as if you were my family. You are all Anna has and she needs you now more than ever, as do you need her. I do not know your reason for keeping your distance from her, but I know you love her more than anything. Please, do not make her go through this alone." Despite being emotionally drained from all the tears she had cried already, Elsa still started to cry when he started talking about her sister. "And I also know how much you loved your parents. They would not have wanted to see you like this. Please, go to the funeral for them."

Finally, Elsa gained the strength to respond. "If my parents were here they would know why I cannot leave my room. I have to stay away for them and for Anna." All her life her parents had protected her secret and tried to help her control her powers, so she would not hurt anyone. She might have been the one that was cursed, but it had ruined their lives and almost cost them their youngest child. Now they were gone and there was nothing Elsa could do to make it up to them. She couldn't even give them a proper goodbye. First she had failed to do anything but curtsy that last time she saw them. It had been the last time she would ever get the chance to show them how much she loved them and she had instead been formal and distant. And now she was failing once again to say goodbye and pay her respects. All she could do was continue to keep her secret and ensure all their work over the years was not in vain.

...

Since the morning they had been told of their parents' demise, Anna had not sought out her elder sister. Elsa hoped she was coping alright and that the servants were looking after her. She didn't want Anna to be alone at such a terrible time and she could not be there for her herself. But for the most part, she tried not to think of Anna because whenever her mind drifted to her sister, she remembered the last time she saw her with the look of despair and betrayal.

After the funeral when Anna did finally seek her sister out, Elsa did not even realize it was her until she spoke. Gone was her signature cheerful knock that used to invite her sister from her isolation. Instead, Elsa heard a weak knock followed by a voice weary from days spent crying.

"Elsa? Please I know you're in there. People are asking where you've been. They say have courage and I'm trying to."

Elsa was shocked at the way her sister sounded. The sorrow she heard in her sister's voice sounded so foreign coming from a girl who was always so cheerful and optimistic. Even with ten years of being told to "go away" Anna never sounded as heartbroken as she did now. It tore at Elsa to hear the anguish in her voice.

"I'm right out here for you. Just let me in." Even after everything Elsa had put her through, she was still supporting her. Anna's words should have come as a comfort to her, but they didn't. Anna shouldn't be offering her support. She should be yelling at Elsa and cursing her for abandoning her at a time like this. Why couldn't her sister just be furious with her like she deserved? Why was she still showing her love when she deserved scorn?

But Anna was never one to place limits on how much she could love someone. Even after all these years she still had not given up on her sister. Elsa knew it would be so much better for Anna if she just would give up on Elsa and shut her out the same way she had shut Anna out for years. At least then she would not have her heart constantly broken trying to reach out to some who could never be the warm and compassionate older sister that she deserved.

"We only have each other. It's just you and me. What are we going to do?" Then she barely heard her sister mutter. "Do you want to build a snowman?"

Every muscle in Elsa's body ached to open the door and take her sister in her arms and hold her tight, the way she used to so long ago before her powers had tainted their relationship. But she knew she never could. Elsa had to put Anna's well-being first, even if that meant causing both of them pain, so she would never again hurt her with her powers. She knew she had failed Anna as a sister, but no matter what, she would never give up trying to protect her. It was the only thing she could do for her now and it was the only way she could honor their parents.

Ever since she had nearly killed her sister and had to shut herself away, Elsa had been longing for the day when she would gain control her powers and her family could go back to the way things were before the accident. Even when her powers had grown and had become harder and harder to control, she still held out hope that one day they could all be a family again. But now that hope was gone. It had perished along with her parents.

Elsa consoled herself at the thought that this pain Anna was in would not last forever. One day, her sister would fall in love. Then she would get married and have a family of her own. Hopefully, then she would forget about Elsa and all the heartache she had caused her. The thought of not being a part of this future life of her sister's tore at her, but if she was a part of Anna's life, then she might not have a future. Elsa would never take that risk. She would stay away from Anna and keep her safe, even if it meant she herself would always be alone.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks for reading. I apologize for the depressing nature of this piece, but it's hard to write about grief without it being depressing. Plus, we have the movie and we know Elsa was wrong; she will not always be alone. The next one-shot I plan to upload is much lighter and happier. I'm trying to balance out the stories so there is a good mix of emotional drama and lighthearted fluff. _


	4. Chapter 4: 8,000 Salad Plates

8,000 Salad Plates

_Summary: While planning their wedding, Anna tells Kristoff and Elsa a story from her thirteen years of isolation, when she wrecked havoc on some of the palace's more fragile items._

_Author's Note: While I was rewatching Frozen, I couldn't help thinking during The First Time in Forever, when Anna mentions they had 8,000 salad plates that sounded like a strange number to have. Then I said to myself, Anna probably broke the other 2,000 plates. And from that random thought, a story was born. I hope you like it. It is mostly Anna fluff. Also, Frozen and all of its characters belong to Disney._

* * *

Kristoff never thought he would fall in love with a princess; he certainly never pictured himself marrying one. When he was younger he envisioned all princesses were poised and regal. He thought they were women who were way to prim and proper to degrade themselves by having anything to do with a man like him. And then he had met Anna and the life he had before her suddenly seemed empty.

Anna was nothing like the vague image he used to have of what a princess was like. In fact, she was nothing like any of the women that he had ever met before. She had this unyielding excitement and enthusiasm that he would find off-putting on someone else, but somehow on her he found it endearing. And despite how different they were, their contrasting personalities blended well together making them an even stronger couple. For instance, he wasn't the most sociable of men, but he was a great listener. This made him perfect for some who was as talkative as his fiancé. He knew she couldn't really help it. After thirteen years of having to fill both sides of a conversation, with an inanimate painting or a closed-door, she sometimes forgot to let someone else speak. It hardly mattered to him. Most of the time he was perfectly content to just sit and watch Anna's energy. He loved the way her face would light up when she found interest in the most trivial of topics.

The Ice Master was doing just that during dinner one night with Anna and her sister, while the princess excitedly went over details for their upcoming wedding. He was thankful that he was more of a casual observer in this conversation than a real participant, since the queen frequently shot him pleading looks when each one of her sister's ideas became increasingly more extravagant.

"And I was thinking you could provide the decorations, since Kristoff and his friends love ice and no one makes better ice sculptures than you."

"I am more than happy to go along with that part, but Anna—"

"Ooh! Ice could be the theme of the wedding! Every wedding needs a great theme."

"Anna" the queen tried again to inject, but the princess was too focused on her idea to notice.

"And for the first dance we could be on ice skates. That would be such a great twist on the old tradition."

"Anna!" Elsa yelled.

"Yes. Elsa, did you want to add something?"

When she asked that, Elsa shot her a look that said only her sister could infuriate the queen that much and get away with it. Anna, however, was oblivious to her sister's frustration. Either that or she did pick up on it and simply brushed it off because she knew Elsa could never stay mad at her for too long. Kristoff could not decide which was the case.

"I think we may be getting a bit too ahead of ourselves on some of this. This guest list for example," Elsa grabbed a large stack of papers. "when it arrived on my desk, I first mistook it for Arendelle's latest census."

Kristoff gaped at the size of the list. He knew he should not be too surprised (given what he knew about Anna and her eagerness for making new friends) that she would go overboard, but he never expected her to invite that many. The size of the list shocked him even more so because he himself had only contributed a couple dozen names at the most. Although his relationship with Anna had cured him of most of his antisocial tendencies, he was still not a fan of large groups. Almost all of his invitees were fellow ice harvesters and their families.

Also, he had managed to convince Anna that having his family at the ceremony would not go over well. Elsa had already offended many foreign princes and noblemen of Arendelle by allowing her sister to marry a Sami and a commoner. And both he and the queen knew it would only be accelerating tensions if those people knew he had literally been raised by trolls. Instead, he had persuaded Anna to have a second small private ceremony in the Valley of the Living Rock, so his family could celebrate with them without attending the official service.

"Can I help it if people are excited about news of a royal wedding? And, I am not the only reason that the list is so long. Kai gave me a huge list of foreign dignitaries and royal families that we have to invite, lest we risk offending our forging relationships. I am only thinking of Arendelle." Elsa rolled her eyes. "And Kristoff had his own list of people to invite." Kristoff and Elsa both chuckled at that part. "Besides, not everyone we invite will be able to come."

"Still, I think we should eliminate a few potential guests. And some of the names you have here are pretty vague. For example, you have the village of Burgen written here. Exactly who in Burgen do you want to invite?"

"The people of Burgen."

"The whole village?!" Elsa exclaimed.

"It is a small village. And the people there are so friendly. Not to mention, everyone there knows each other. If I only invite half the people the other half will feel left out."

"Anna, I know you are excited about all of this, and trust me, I want you to have the wedding you always dreamt of, but I do not know how we can accommodate all of these people." Elsa gestured to the guest list.

"It can't be that hard. If we need a bigger hall you can just make one out of ice. It would go perfect with our ice theme! Plus, we have 8,000 salad plates that are just sitting around collecting dust. It is about time they were put to use."

"If you make any more friends, I don't think 8,000 salad plates will be enough." The queen started to rub her temples.

"We did used to have 10,000 salad plates." Gerda, who had just walked into the room to bring their deserts, mentioned.

"What happened to the rest of them?" Elsa asked.

"Well…" Gerda trailed off as she moved her gaze to the princess who was wearing a mischievous smile.

"You actually broke 2,000 salad plates?" Kristoff exclaimed. He had learned early on his fiancée was a danger to anything more fragile than rocks, but he still found it astonishing she could break so many plates in her nineteen years.

"Well it's not like I break a plate every day. Most of them were broken in one freak-accident."

…

And so Anna proceeded to tell them about that "freak accident." She had only been seven-years-old at the time. She had been suffering from a terrible chocolate craving, since her parents had taken away her chocolate privileges for the week.

Her punishment came after she had nearly given Gerda a heart attack by hiding a mouse in her wardrobe. _And I thought Arendelle claimed to be against torture._ The young princess thought to herself. She knew the prank had gone a bit too far (how was she supposed to know the woman had a terrible phobia of mice), but Gerda's reaction had been hilarious (at least until Gerda fainted after the mouse tried to climb up her leg). How did her parents expect her to endure such a cruel punishment? It had only been two days and already she thought she was going to lose it.

Anna hoped her sister could offer some relief from her suffering. She knew it was unlikely that Elsa would open the door when she knocked. But occasionally when her parents took away her chocolate privileges (which they often did whenever Anna slipped up, they always claimed some nonsense about how they suspected chocolate contributed to Anna's hyperactivity) she would find a few pieces tucked under her covers or slipped into the pockets of her dress. She had absolutely no evidence that Elsa was behind the gifts, but some part of her always suspected her sister was responsible.

"Elsa," She knocked her signature five knocks. "I know you are probably busy studying or doing something else boring—not that you're boring. It's just some of the things you like to do are boring. Wait—that came out wrong. I mean, I wouldn't enjoy doing them, but it's great if you do. After all, you're the future queen and it definitely will help if you enjoy doing boring things because from some of Papa's stories are well…yeash…I'm glad you're the older sister. Of course, if you need a break…"

She anxiously waited, but received no answer. "But that is not what I came to ask you. What did I come to ask you?" Even if the question had not been directed at herself, it still would have been met with silence.

"Oh yeah got it. I was wondering if you had any chocolate I could have?" Still she received no response.

"I know I'm not really supposed to have chocolate this week, but Mamma and Papa are being completely unfair. And I am going to go crazy if I have to wait another five whole days." She waited a few more minutes, once again staring awkwardly at the door.

"Alright, I guess that is a no. Sorry to bother you. You can go back to reading or whatever it is you do in there all the time."

Anna walked away heading in no particular direction. She was pretty sure that conversation would lead nowhere. Even if her sister was the source of mysterious chocolates, she had not left Anna anything the last few times she had been in trouble. Perhaps their parents had caught onto her, and put a stop to the gifts. Already Anna had gone two whole days with no treats appearing. She could not endure a third day; she had to do something.

Anna snuck into the kitchen with the stealth befitting a spy (or at least she thought she was being covert). It did help that the room was empty that time of day. She did feel a little guilty going against her parents' orders, but she was weak and chocolate was her Achilles' heel. When she opened the cupboard her mouth was already watering with anticipation, but to her disappointment the chocolate was not there. She searched all the cupboards, but the chocolate was nowhere to be found.

Then she expanded her search to the storage rooms and finally came across a tin of chocolate at the top of the highest shelf. Undoubtedly, the servants must not have trusted her not to sneak chocolate. For half a second she started to get offended, and then she remembered what she was doing.

From that height the chocolate would be almost impossible to reach, but she was not ready to give-up after all of her searching. She scanned the room searching for a way up, but no obvious option presented itself. However, there was a stack of crates in close proximity to the shelf. If she could climb the stack she might be able to lean over far enough to reach the shelf.

Without putting anymore thought into her plan, Anna went over to the stack and climbed up. Once at the top, she realized she had misjudged the distance and was still a few feet too far away. Not wanting to accept failure, she grabbed one of the lower shelves with her left hand to steady herself and with her right hand she tried to stretch and reach the shelf.

Her fingers managed to graze the tin, but it was too far away to pull from the shelf. She repositioned herself on the edge of the crate. The chocolates were almost in her grasp when she felt the crates under her shift.

Anna barely had time to react. She quickly grabbed the shelves and held on as hard as she could. In the next instant there was nothing but air between her and the stone floor ten feet below, as the crates tumbled over each other. She swung her legs and managed to climb the rest of the way onto the shelf.

It wasn't until she was on a sturdy surface and no longer dangling for her life that her heart rate returned to normal. Her relief was short-lived. Once she looked down and surveyed how much damage she had caused, she realized how much trouble she was going to be in. Earlier, she had been so focused on the chocolates that she failed to notice the word "Fragile" in big black letters on the side. Beside the boxes were the fragments of broken dishes. Making her situation even worse, with the crates on the ground, she had no way to get down until she was discovered. With all that in mind Anna grabbed the tin and started eating.

…

"Wait. You crushed 2,000 dishes, made a complete mess out of the storage room, and you decide to just sit there and eat chocolate like nothing happened?" Kristoff interrupted Anna's story to ask.

"Well yeah. What else could I do? I was stuck there and I knew once my papa found out, it would be a long time before I was allowed to eat chocolate again, so I figured I better eat them while I had the chance."

"Anna, you know, you could have been killed."

"Come on Elsa, Papa wasn't that angry. He was way more furious the time I climbed the castle wall." She smiled remembering the thrill of the stunt, and then shuttered remembering her father's reaction.

"I meant climbing the unsteady stack of crates."

"So you really broke 2,000 plates in one day." Kristoff said.

"Actually, I only broke around 1,500 or so plates that time."

Kristoff hated to ask, but his curiosity got the better of him. "And the other five-hundred?"

Anna got a sheepish look on her face. "Well, back then I had a lot of free time and I had to entertain myself most of the time. I read in a book about how a man pulled a table-cloth so fast that all the dishes stayed in place and you know…practice makes perfect."

Elsa rolled her eyes while Kristoff couldn't help, but smile picturing a young Anna trying the trick over and over. A normal person would maybe attempt the trick once and then never again after breaking a whole table's worth of dishes, but his fiancée wasn't one to let a few hundred broken dishes stop her from learning a useless parlor trick.

"I always wondered why all of our dishes used to disappear." Gerda stated.

Anna stood with her usual energy. "But it was totally worth it."

When she grabbed the edge of the table-cloth Elsa, Kristoff, and Gerda all jumped up to try to stop her.

"Anna!" Elsa cried.

"Your Highness!" Gerda cautioned.

"No need to show…" Kristoff tried to say.

"But the princess disregarded all their protest and in one swift motion she ripped the table-cloth from the table. All the dishes vibrated from the sudden motion, but to everyone's astonishment (except Anna's) they settled without a single dish toppling over. In unison, they all looked at the princess who wore a proud smile on her face.

"See I told you I was a master at this. Now if you three are done questioning my talent, I believe the chocolate fondue has been served…" As she pranced back to her seat she accidentally stepped on the edge of the table-cloth she was holding causing her to stumble and fall onto the table. When she hit it, she caused it to turn on its side sending all the contents crashing to the floor.

Anna looked at the shattered dishware and then at the three pair of eyes glaring at her. "You know we really should invest in some sturdier plates."

* * *

_Author's Note: I don't know about you, but writing this has given me a huge chocolate craving. _


End file.
